


Mudcrabs and Necromancers

by sexyorcsingles



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-21
Packaged: 2020-10-25 04:40:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20718242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sexyorcsingles/pseuds/sexyorcsingles
Summary: The Dragonborn builds his house and gets enthusiastic about mudcrabs. Rayya gets him to open up a bit more- though still doesn’t get a straight answer.





	Mudcrabs and Necromancers

“…Rayya?“

“Yes, my Thane?”

“…Is that a fucking necromancer?“

~

It was an uncommon thing, the Dragonborn taking time to do something purely for himself and no one else. But today was one of those rare days. There would be no dragons to deal with, no bandits to teach a lesson, no important figures to save. Instead, it was just him and his housecarl, giving her an actual home to watch over. 

The Dragonborn had other homes, of course. One in Whiterun, one in Markarth, one in Solitude… yet here he was, hammering metal into nails and hinges and locks, carefully sawing logs and bringing them into place with the help of the Redguard… it involved a lot of puzzling over the home building guide, and a lot of swearing, but Rayya would have sworn her Thane was enjoying himself. He worked without complaint, even when instructions stumped the both of them or he had to carry a lot of weight by himself. All the iron needed for the home wasn’t light. He just seemed to be excited for all of this- whether it was for the house itself or the day off it gave him from being a Dragonborn though, she couldn’t tell.

Lakeview Manor was becoming a fine home indeed- though, surprisingly, the Dragonborn had refused Rayya’s offer to become Steward of the home.

“A steward just sits around all day making sure the home is in order,“ He had told her. “You’re too good of a warrior and companion to lose to the homesteading life.“

Steward or not, the housecarl was happy to assist with the house. It meant a lot of travelling initially though- lumber and ingots and all sorts of other odds and ends. The lumber was… especially tricky to get. She didn’t trust the woman who ran Half-Moon Mill, and she decided to ask her Thane his thoughts about the woman as they started the walk back to Lakeview.

“Oh, she’s definitely a vampire.“ The Dragonborn chirped, hardly seeming phased by saying it. He even laughed as Rayya seemed shocked.

“How can you so easily tell?!“ Rayya demanded.

The man tapped the eye holes of his helmet. “It’s about the eyes. If you look closely, they’re a lot more… well, it’s hard to explain. It’s just something you come to know after a while.”

The housecarl pretended to give him a suspicious look. “Now that you say that, it reminds me I’ve never seen your eyes…” She told him, getting a laugh out of the man. It was nice to see him open up more around her, easing into talking more, expressing more. He seemed to be such a shy man. “Though… if she’s a vampire, shouldn’t we do something?”

“Do you want to go up to Markarth for lumber?“ The Dragonborn questioned, which caused the housecarl to sheepishly shake her head. “As does most of Falkreath, I’m sure. If she was a big issue, no doubt the guards would be all over that place. But right now, it seems like nothing serious is going on, and they’re supplying most of Falkreath with lumber. There’s no harm in it, as far as I see it. If it becomes a big problem, I’ll be the first to take care of it.“

Rayya definitely believed that.

~

The Dragonborn was looking happily over the cliffside in the back of his house, gazing out over the water and just basking in the pure joy of it all. The house was somewhat built- they were midway through putting up the staircases and supports for the second floor, but he caught sight of the beautiful lake and Bleak Falls Barrow in the background, and felt at peace. It was a beautiful location for a home. 

Rayya approached the man, a pleased hum leaving her. “This hold certainly has beautiful scenery, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, and it doesn’t freeze you through your armour either. It’s nice.“ her thane replied, crossing his arms.

Though she didn’t want to ruin his good mood… the housecarl couldn’t help but wonder if now was the perfect time to get her only question answered. At the very least, she should be able to get his name, right? “Did you ever have nights like this, growing up, wherever it was..?“

He was silent for a few moments. “…Rayya?“

“Yes, my Thane?” She felt as though she was in trouble for asking all of a sudden.

“…Is that a fucking necromancer?“

“Wh- I beg your pardon, my Thane?“

The Dragonborn stared further down the cliffs, pointing down to someone in a black robe pacing around some sort of stone slab on the ground. It was hard to make out, but the housecarl would have sworn there were bones sitting on it.

“…I believe it might be, my Thane.“

“Why-“ He brought his hand up to his face as though pinching the bridge of his nose. He let out a gentle sigh. “Why is there just… a necromancer so close to the land the Jarl is selling? Surely he would have people out here to make sure no one tries to use the land?“

The Redguard tried not to pull a face at mention of Siddgeir. She had dealt with enough of him, that was for certain. There was a reason she was handed off to be housecarl to the newest thane of Falkreath… 

“I… suppose they must be too busy to do so, with the war and all.“

The Dragonborn covered the face of his helmet with his hands. “There’s a necromancer just below my house. Divines help me.”

“I don’t believe there’s a divine for necromancy, my Thane.“

~

Rayya didn’t know what she expected when the Dragonborn suggested that they add a trophy room to the house. The man carefully putting together a replica of a mudcrab on a pedestal was most certainly on the “that wouldn’t happen, right?” scale.

“Were your parents killed by mudcrabs or something?“ The Redguard asked, amusement in her voice.

“I just think they’re neat.“ He defended. “And I’d fill this whole room with them too, if I had any more parts on hand.“

“You think they’re… neat?“

“Yes, they’re very neat. I’d even say cute.“

“You would call mudcrabs cute.“

“Yes, yes I would.“

Rayya couldn’t help it- it definitely wasn’t something you were supposed to do when it came to the person you were basically required to risk your life for, but she had to laugh at how ridiculous it was. The man who was destined to save the world, who was famed to defeat Alduin the World Eater, who had gone through countless ruins and faced countless horrors and enemies… painstakingly replicating a mudcrab for his trophy room because he thought they were cute. Her Thane sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

“It isn’t that funny, come on.“ He protested meekly. 

“My Thane, the only furniture in this house aside from a single chest is a mudcrab statue. It’s a little funny.“

“I think they’re cute!“

“Yes, my Thane. I’m sure you do.“


End file.
